


believe in sheltering skies

by Melesmeles



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen, Peter plays Mass Effect because it's the only game I can talk about off the top of my head, Trans Character, Transphobia, also because it's awesome, misuse of pronouns, super family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-01
Updated: 2012-07-01
Packaged: 2017-11-08 22:33:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/448279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melesmeles/pseuds/Melesmeles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Avengers Tower is very large and Peter's friend gets confused, Steve has some outdated views on gender, and Clint is a good person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	believe in sheltering skies

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a fill for this prompt on AvengerKink:
> 
> _So basically I'm coming to terms with the fact that I'm trans* right now, and it's really hard for me, especially right now I'm having a terrible bout of dysphoria, and Clint's my favorite character, and a story where a character, any character, a member of the Avengers, some Avengers-related thing like Young Avengers or something, or just a random civilian, coming out to him and asking him to use their preferred name and pronouns, and maybe him standing up for them would be awesome right now._
> 
> http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/6021.html?thread=9470597#t9470597
> 
> So, I attempted to fill that and it somehow turned into superfamily fic? I was trying to come up with a scenario, and this just started writing itself. Also, in case anyone was wondering, Alex is fully an OC and does not exist anywhere within Marvel canon (goodness knows I can't keep track of everybody).
> 
> Also also! There is a mini-rant explaining my feels about how I wrote Steve in the end notes.
> 
> Title comes from Never Quite Free by The Mountain Goats.

\---

Peter was deep into the game he was playing ("Holy shit, Alex, do you see that Reaper? Do you see how big it is? We are so fucked, dude - oh shit, husks, shit shit shit -" the narration was nearly constant during the action sequences, and Peter should thank the Powers That Be that Alex finds it hilarious instead of a homicide-inducing level of annoying), so when Alex said he was hungry, Peter just told him to go raid the kitchen.("You know where it is, and we've got plenty of food - oh shit, thresher maw! Go, go, bring me back some pretzels or something.") Which is how Alex found himself wandering around Avengers Tower alone, in pajamas, and with only a vague idea of how to get to one of the several kitchens. He might come over here a lot, but he mostly went straight to Peter's room.  
  
Alex wasn't one to let disorientation get to him, so he kept on until he came to a quasi-familiar hallway. It looked about right - and yes, there was the kitchen door! Or, at least, he thought it was the door. It was open, which, good, definitely not some secret lab then (he'll never forget the time Mr. Stark - no, Tony, he'd said Alex could call him Tony, he got enough of "Mr. Stark" from everyone else - had found him trying to force his way into... he still didn’t know what), but he could hear voices so he hesitated outside, not wanting to interrupt. He'd spare himself the embarrassment and possible signing of (even more) non-disclosure agreements that came with intruding on official Avengers business, thank you very much. He peered inside, listening.  
  
"Anything fun going on in Rogers-Stark land this weekend, Cap?" Asked Clint as he walked to the refrigerator. Alex let out a little breath of relief - no discussion of secret plans, and it was Clint ("Oh God, don't call me Mr. Barton, that makes me sound ridiculous,") and Captain Rogers ("You can call me Steve," he'd said, but from the look that passed between him and his husband, it was obviously only because Tony had told him to. Alex stuck with Captain Rogers) in there. He'd always liked Clint, and Captian Rogers was used to seeing him around. He started forward and was about to open the door further when Captain Rogers replied.  
  
"Not really," he said as he grabbed the kettle from the stove and poured hot water into a waiting mug. "I think we're keeping it low-key tonight. Tony's in his workshop, Peter's upstairs with Sarah -"  
  
Alex stopped, and felt his chest clench up. Goddamnit, today had been going so well, he'd been feeling okay and now he was going to have to listen to -  
  
"Alex." Clint interjected.   
  
"What?"  
  
"Alex is upstairs with Peter."  
  
"Oh, right, sorry." Steve looked chagrined.  
  
Alex relaxed minutely. Thank you, Clint - at least he wasn't the one who had to correct Captain Rogers this time. Still, he didn't move - he didn't want to enter the room when they were talking about him, especially when it was about this.  
  
"Yeah. What were you saying?" Clint asked, trying to steer them back to more comfortable ground, but apparently Captain Rogers wasn't having it.  
  
"It's just weird, you know? It's hard, switching names, using 'he' instead of --" Clint huffed, cutting off Captain Rogers. Steve turned around to look at him. "What?"  
  
"Really?" Clint asked, closing the door to the refrigerator. "You're pulling that shit?" Captain Rogers shifted, his pose becoming defensive. Clint didn't seem to care. "Look, I've put up with you fucking up his pronouns for long enough. I'm not going listen to you make excuses for your inability to be a decent fucking person."  
  
Alex sucked in a breath.  
  
"What are you talking abo-"

"It's not like you're not used to change, Cap - you woke up in a different decade and did pretty well with that. Hell, you accepted Thor's from another dimension faster than you're accepting that Alex is a guy! And it’s not like you have the 'excuse' of having been around him his whole life - you barely knew him before he started transitioning. Peter talked about him, but did you ever even meet him? Call him "Sarah" to his face - well, that is, before he was Alex?” Clint looked disgusted. “So, yeah, maybe it's hard for you, but it's not because the concept's so difficult - it's because you've got buckets of unresolved issues around gender. I know you're from a different time, and I know you're trying, but maybe you should try a little harder not to be a transphobic dick, especially to your son's best friend."

"I -" Captain Rogers started, like he was about to defend himself, but then stopped. He looked down at his feet, his shoulders slumping. "You're probably right."

"Just think before you speak, and stop making excuses," said Clint, sounding a little tired. “I’m tired of letting it go. You need to be better.”

"Yes," said Captain Rogers as he picked up his mug, "I - I'll try. And I'm sorry. I’m gonna go - I’ll see you around."

"I know you are. Have a good night, Steve. Enjoy your tea."

"You too, Clint. And... thank you for calling me out." And with that, Captain Rogers left the kitchen, thankfully through the other door.

Alex let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding - and apparently he breathed a little too loudly, because Clint whipped around immediately. Well, he was caught now. Alex pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped forward, but didn't say anything. The look on Clint's face was unreadable. They stood there for a moment, Alex shifting awkwardly, before Clint spoke.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that."

"No, no, it's okay -" Alex stammered.

"No, it's not. He was acting like an asshole, and you shouldn't have to deal with that."

Alex couldn't help but laugh, tired and a little self-deprecating. "Lots of people are assholes. It's not every day someone gives them a dressing down like that, though. It was... really good to hear that coming from someone who's not, y'know, me."

Clint shrugged. "It's whatever."

"It's really not."

Clint looked him in the eyes. "Well, it should be."

Alex smiled at him. "I know. But it's not, so thank you. I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem, kid."

They stood in silence for a few seconds, until Alex's stomach growled and it snapped them out of the moment. Clint laughed, and Alex grinned and laughed with him. 

"Right!" Alex said, "Food! Getting that now." Clint turned back to the refrigerator, opened it, and started taking out the fixings for a sandwich. They chatted as Alex wandered about the kitchen, opening cabinets and grabbing snack foods as necessary (he couldn't find the pretzels for Peter, but he did find Sun Chips, so he figured he'd be forgiven). Finally, he grabbed some soda cans and said goodnight to Clint, who waved back in lieu of talking with his mouth full. Alex laughed as he walked out the door. He retraced his steps and soon was back at Peter's room. Peter, predictably, was still engrossed in the game, but paused it when Alex sat down.

"You get my pretzels?" Alex chuckled. Of course that's what Peter wanted to know - he probably hadn't even noticed how long Alex had been gone.

"No, but I brought these," he said, grabbing the Sun Chips.

"Sweet!" Peter grabbed them out of his hands and tore open the bag, practically stuffing a handful into his mouth. Alex raised an eyebrow. "What? I'm starving!" Peter mumbled through the chips.

"Whatever, dude." Alex said, leaning back into the couch. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting what he'd listened to tonight sink in. He must have looked troubled because the sound of crunching paused, and Alex opened his eyes to see Peter looking at him.

"You okay, Alex?" He asked, voice pitched light, but concerned. Alex took a deep breath and smiled at him, not big, but there.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for asking, though."

"Okay," said Peter, sounding a little skeptical.

"Really, I'm fine." Alex rolled his eyes.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Peter asked, voice soft.

"Yeah, Peter," Alex smiled softly, "I know. And thank you. But right now, I'm okay. Now go back to kicking some Reaper ass."

Peter paused for a second, and Alex could practically see him changing gears. "I'm not kicking Reaper ass, dude! That thing is waaaay too big. Get it right." He unpaused the game and quickly got reabsorbed in the dialogue. Alex grabbed a soda from where he'd laid them on the ground, settled back into the couch again, and reached over to steal a chip from Peter's bag. Peter swatted his hand away.

"Who was the one who went all the way to the kitchen to get these?" He asked. Peter pouted at him. "Not gonna work, Peter."

"Fine, fine, whatever, take your stupid chips - oh shit, more husks!" Alex laughed and snatched up a handful of chips as Peter once again started babbling. All in all, it was shaping up to be a fun night.

\---

**Author's Note:**

> So, Steve in this story is pretty much a dick. This is NOT meant as character bashing - the way Steve talks is modeled after conversations I have had with friends and family members, people who are genuinely good people, who just don't get it. And the thing with people like that is that they're never going to understand if someone doesn't get through to them, whether through extreme patience or though getting angry. This isn't because there's something intrinsically wrong about them, it's because society is so fucked that people internalize all these horrible ideas and beliefs about gender that are incredibly damaging to - well, everyone, but particularly trans* people. I chose Steve to be the character with these views because he grew up in the early 1900s, and there's no way that he doesn't have some lingering issues around gender roles. Hell, "gender" wasn't even being used as a term back then - it wasn't used in its modern meaning until 1963.
> 
> The point of this rant, is that although Steve is an asshat in this story, it should be known that his talk with Clint sticks with him, and that he does make an effort to change how he acts around Alex (and eventually succeeds in that effort!).
> 
> So, yes. Steve: not a bad guy, just inundated with societal bullshit, like so much of humanity.
> 
> Also! I realize that Steve acquiesced to Clint's observations rather quickly. But... Steve is a good guy, and this is half fantasy I wrote out because I have been the Clint to my friends' Alexes in too many of these conversations and they never go this well, and fanfic is a place where dreams can come true.


End file.
